#FestivalForGood is happening TODAY and it's Singapore's first ever festival put together to celebrate and raise awareness of social enterprises! 🎈Head down to Timbre+ to join in the fun with the exciting line up, all while doing good! Apart from dropping by stalls at the pop-up market, participate in unique fringe events like a crash course on how to juggle to a tote bag design workshop. Most importantly, get a close look and gain a first hand experience of what some of our inspiring local social enterprises do, such as through the Visual Impairment Exercise by Society Staples and the Disability Wellness Experience by AbleThrive.
Together with this joyous occasion, Festival for Good has partnered with 8 F&B partners to launch #DineForGood for the whole month of August! Professor Brawn Cafe is one of these 8. Professor Brawn is not the owner, but the face of the cafe representing kindness, strength and intelligence. Both him and The Animal Project (TAP), are inspired and created by their founder, Roland's, autistic son. Roland left the corporate world with the determination to start this social enterprise and has not looked back since. He doesn't just push for serving affordable quality western grub, his priority is to promote inclusivity and acceptance of the special needs community, by providing employment & social integration opportunities. Holistic considerations and adjustments have been made to the jobs to better support his employees in performing and showcasing their abilities.
Prepared to be spoilt for choice here as you flip through the menu. Two must gets for me are the substantial crunchy calamari ($7.90) and the super tender Savoury BBQ Pork Ribs ($18.90). End off your meal later with a selection of home made cakes like this Banana Walnut Cake.
Your support to these social enterprises goes a long way and means a lot to them. Be #partofthegood simply by dining in!🍴 In the month of August at Professor Brawn, receive a complimentary serving of ice cream with purchase of any mains! Download the dining coupons, tickets to workshops and find more details of the festival at www.festivalforgood.sg!
A huge thank you to Roland from @professorbrawn, Saddiqi from raiSE for the warm hospitality and @burpple for the kind invite! 🙆🏻
Originally from the corporate world, Professor Brawn Cafe's founder Roland Tay left his job after 30 years to set up this social enterprise, which helps to provide employment opportunities to people with special needs. Professor Brawn is a superhero drawn by his son, Jun Yi, who has autism. By maintaining a routine from the preparation of food to cooking, his team of staff (some of them suffer from autism) now dishes out delectable Western fare. Come with your family for the Weekend Special Lunch Set (from $18.90), where your choice of main (either chicken confit or striploin steak) is accompanied with a complimentary soup and drink. If available, opt for the tender Pork Ribs ($18.90) that Burpple Tastemaker Russell Leong loves. For a lighter bite, nibble on their finger-licking good Crunchy Calamari ($7.90), served with a tasty salsa dip.
Avg price: $20 per person
Photo by Burpple Tastemaker Russell Leong
The event lineup includes craft workshops, an all day pop-up market, sharing sessions from social entrepreneurs, performances, and #DineForGood.
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8 F&B social enterprises are partaking in #DineForGood by having special promotions in the whole month of August - check out the link on my profile for details on each unique promotion!
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Professor Brawn Cafe is the brainchild of Mr Roland Tay who aims to provide job opportunities for people with special needs, so that they can be financially independent and self-reliant. Some of the staff at the cafe are Pathlight graduates who handle routine food prep in the autistic-friendly kitchen by following visual instructions. It’s Mr Tay’s way of giving back to the community after his personal experience with his autistic son, who, by the way, is the talented artist for the cafe superhero mascot Professor Brawn and the artwork for merchandise brand The Animal Project.
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As part of #DineForGood, Professor Brawn Cafe is offering a free ice cream add on for any of their main dishes at the Novena Square outlet. The Tastemakers and I were generously treated to several of their sides and mains - the crunchy calamari, bbq ribs and grilled truffle chicken were my favourites. At first I had a chunk of the tender chicken and wondered why it was lacking the signature taste, until the others pointed out that the truffle goodness was in the sauce which I carelessly missed out. One swipe and it was bam! Comes with very addictive wedges that you can clean the plate with 😁 The modest-looking side salad on most of the mains turned out to be an unexpected winner with its stimulating tangy and sweet homemade dressing.
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Do check out the other Tastemakers’ posts on the other social enterprises under #DineForGood. Thanks @Burpple and @raiSEsg for the invite, and @professorbrawn hosting and educating us! #Burpple
Professor Brawn Café is at its core a social enterprise, as they hire people with autism, who form the backbone of the staff at Professor Brawn's. However, that doesn't mean that the food is neglected, as these pork ribs ($18.90++) stuck to my ribs.
Tender and juicy, these bad hogs slide clean off the bone with minimal persuasion and straight into your mouth. It's also well marinated, being satisfactorily savory on its own without the hearty gravy ladled over it. The crisp yet fluffy wedges and the decently dressed salad on the side round out this American comfort classic and make it a real satisfying and wholesome meal.
You can be #partofthegood as well! Simply dine at any social enterprises like Professor Brawn café and snap a few pictures for posterity on social media. Plus, Professor Brawn is having a promotion this month where ordering any main gets you a sweet ending of ice cream! Spread the word, and keep these businesses with a cause booming and continually able to hire and retain people with special needs. As the training program is understandably more extensive to ensure that their staff with special needs are well adapted to their jobs, the overheads are significantly higher.
By supporting upstanding social enterprises, you can empower these people by helping them to lead dignified lives just like you and I. Plus, these businesses focus on filling your bellies with fantastic food, so what's not to like?
Many thanks to Mr Roland Tay for sharing with us your story, the rigorous processes behind the setting up of Professor Brawn and for your great generosity while hosting us, and to raiSE and Burpple for the invite!
